As the year comes to a close, many people reminisce, and one key thing to remember is the greatest TV series of 2023.
With no lack of series hitting our screens this year, competition to be crowned one of the most beloved shows was tough, but the standouts have already been selected.
The Last of Us, Succession, Beef, and Happy Valley were among the most talked-about series this year, but did they make the cut?
Rotten Tomatoes has compiled the Top 10 TV programmes of 2023 based on reviews from both consumers and critics, and the results may surprise you.
If you haven’t had a chance to tune in yet, this might be a good time to do so.
So, which shows stood out the most?
10. Primo- Prime Video
Primo, an American sitcom, ranked tenth on the list.
The semi-autobiographical series is based on the childhood of journalist and former teacher Shea Serrano in San Antonio, Texas.
The first season of this coming-of-age comedy stars Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, Christina Vidal, and Carlos Santos as a teenager between academic dreams, societal expectations, and a chaotic family life anchored by his single mom and five uncles.
The eight-part series premiered in May and received an excellent 100% rating on the website, as did all other items on this list.
It received a 97% rating from the audience.
9. Cunk on Earth- BBC/ Netflix
Cunk on Earth, which premiered on BBC last year, stars Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk, an ill-informed investigative reporter who had previously appeared on Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe and Cunk on Britain.
Philomena traversed the world in this series, interviewing real-life experts on topics such as the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War, and the Space Race.
The actress and comedian received a nomination for a British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for her work in the series.
On the website, its audience score is now 86%.
8. Reacher season 2- Prime Video
The second season of Reacher, based on Lee Child’s best-selling series of novels, received positive reviews from both reviewers and fans.
This time, the eponymous man (Alan Ritchson) gets approached by a former member of his old MP unit from New York City after one of their own is murdered under suspicious circumstances.
He reassembles his former gang in order to track out the killers and revenge their friend.
The second season premiered this month and swiftly surpassed Amazon Prime records, becoming the service’s top title of the year in terms of total viewers across all series and films worldwide.
It now has an 84% audience rating.
The first four episodes of the eight-part series have been released, with the remaining episodes to be aired next year.
7. Drops of God- Apple TV Plus
This show, based on a Japanese manga series, has largely flown under the radar but managed to pick up an audience score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The series explored the impact of the death of Frenchman Alexandre Léger, developer of the famed Léger Wine Guide, in the world of cuisine and fine wines.
Camille (Fleur Geffrier), who lives in Paris and hasn’t seen her father since her parents divorced when she was nine years old, flies to his home in Tokyo to hear his will read and discovers that her father has left her an extraordinary wine collection — the greatest collection in the world, according to experts.
But, in order to claim the inheritance, she must compete with a talented young oenologist, Issei Tomine (Tomohisa Yamashita), with the winner inheriting the empire.
The problem is that she knows nothing about wine and has never sipped a drop.
6. Foundation season 2- Apple TV Plus
current science fiction series, partly based on Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series of tales, premiered in 2021 before returning for a second season in July of current year.
It chronicles the narrative of The Foundation, a band of exiles who find that the only way to rescue the Galactic Empire from annihilation is to resist it over a thousand years.
Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, and Leah Harvey lead the ensemble cast, with a third season already ordered.
It received a 78% rating from viewers.
5. Colin from Accounts- BBC
This Australian comedy began with a bang when one of its characters accidentally struck a puppy with his automobile while seeing his ultimate love interest flash her boob as she walked down the street.
The narrative followed real-life couple Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer as Gordon and Ashley as they tried to care for the stray puppy they named Colin while also sorting out their feelings for one other.
It presently has a 94% approval rating from website visitors.
A second season is presently in the works.
4. A Small Light- Disney Plus
This eight-part series told the tale of Miep Giels (Bel Powley), who assisted her Jewish employer Otto Frank, his family, and other Jewish refugees in hiding during the German invasion of the Netherlands during World War II.
The biographical drama, created by Grey’s Anatomy showrunners Joan Rater and Tony Phelan, premiered in May and stars Joe Cole and Liev Schreiber.
The wartime movie, which told the tale of Anne Frank from a different perspective, received an amazing 95% rating from viewers.
3. Happy Valley season 3- BBC
Happy Valley fans finally got to find out what occurred in the years-long fight between Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah) and rapist Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) after a seven-year wait.
In the first season, she attempted to exact retribution for her daughter’s murder when Tommy, the man who raped her, was released from jail.
At the same time, she has been caring for her late daughter’s son Ryan, a victim of sexual abuse.
While the third season opened with Catherine about to retire, she was summoned back into service to investigate a crime perhaps connected to Tommy, an offer she couldn’t resist.
The season now has a 94% viewership rating.
2. Reservation Dogs season 3- Disney Plus
Reservation Dogs is an Indigenous American television series developed by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi about four Indigenous teens in rural Oklahoma who spend their days hanging out and committing crimes in order to earn enough money to leave their reservation town.
It was the first American series to have all Indigenous writers and directors, as well as a cast and staff comprised virtually exclusively of Indigenous North Americans.
What were the top TV shows of 2023?
10. Primo
9. Cunk on Earth
8. Reacher S2
7. Drops of God
6. Foundation S2
5. Colin from Accounts
4. A Small Light
3. Happy Valley S3
2. Reservation Dogs S3
1.Invincible S2
The first season premiered in 2021, with the third and last season ending this September.
It gained great critical praise and multiple honours, including a Peabody Award and two Independent Spirit Awards, as well as nominations for one Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award, one Golden Globe Award, two Television Critics Association Awards, and five Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
It has an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
1.Invincible season 2- Prime Video
This animated series based on the Image Comics comic of the same name took the top place.
It follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson as he transforms into a superhero under the supervision of his father Omni-Man, better known as Nolan Grayson, the world’s most powerful superhero. During his metamorphosis, Mark is torn between his personal life and his heroic duties, where he will be pushed to show that he is capable of becoming the hero that his father is.
It stars Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, and J. K. Simmons as the Grayson family.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a 90% audience rating.
